Pomo

Tribes of Native America

The Pomo Nation
By: Bobby and Jon

General Overview:
Native Americans of North California, belonging to the Hokan branch. The Pomo were the most southerly Native Americans on the California coast not brought under the mission influence of the Catholics in the 18th and 19th century. The Pomo have been especially noted for their basketry. Many of their works are now valued in museums. Pomo developed feather covering, lattice twining, checker work, single rod coiling, and several other areas of specialization. They now occupy several reservations in North California. About 5,000 Pomo in the United States.

	Food- The Pomo Indians mostly gathered their food from plants, such as seeds, nuts, and berries. Fish and small animals were part of their meals. Acorns were the most important part of the Pomo's diet. Fish deer and rabbit were the meat of their choice.
.	*Clothing- Men were often unclothed. women wore short, thick kilts or shredded tulles or skirts of deerskin. Rabbit robes were used for warmth.*
	*Shelter- The Pomo Natives lived in large communities. They lived in houses made of dry grass supported by bent poles. They built a fire in the middle of the hut for cooking.*
	*Culture-* *Entertainment: They had many dances after feasts. Religion and entertainment often tied in together. They also entertained themselves by making baskets.* *Religion: There were two main religious activities, the "ghost dance" where they acted as the dead. Also they had a "Far South" activity suitable for children.* *Arts: The Pomo's made beautiful baskets and jewelry. Some of the baskets were three feet wide, also some have shells and feathers woven into them.* *Family Life: The family stayed "tight" and always watched out for each other. The father was the head of the house and the women made food and baskets.*

Sources Used:
http://www.curtis-collection.com/tribe%20data/pomo.html
http://uwf.edu/coehelp/studentaccounts/lmelnick/california.htm
http://www.dsusd.k12.ca.us/educational/canatives/pomo.html